Gorleston Golf Club

Despite the bad weather of late, two annual Christmas fixtures at Gorleston Golf Club did go ahead as planned.

Dan Maddock hosted the annual Greensome event for the Maddock Tankards. This very popular competition saw the usual capacity turn-out although Dan’s son and club champion John was unfortunately unavailable on the day because of illness. Some excellent scores were returned with the pairing of David Marshall and Steve Stone scoring 42 points, only to be beaten on countback to the runners-up prize by Reg Cadmore and Mike Spearritt. However, both pairs had to accept the minor placings as the winners were Andy Elliott and John Hopwood who went one better with 43 points and received the tankards from Dan Maddock in front of a very full clubhouse of members.

The Ladies Section also managed to play their Christmas Centenary Foursomes as a 10-hole competition with Edna Langston and Marieta Holmes victorious scoring 25 points, as Penny Platten and Maureen Dark took the runners-up prize with 23 points. A total of 44 ladies braved the freezing conditions to compete and then went on to enjoy a convivial pre-Christmas lunch in the clubhouse.

Hopefully the weather will have improved sufficiently for the two remaining fixtures of 2012 to be played. These are the Men’s Midweek Stableford and the December Monthly Medal which will round off a year which has not been without success for Gorleston members.

The two highlights of the year undoubtedly have been in national events, with the ladies team winning through to the UK finals of the Mail on Sunday Classic only to be thwarted by the weather and finding themselves eliminated on the number of games won in previous rounds when the course was deemed unplayable because of the weather.

David James and James Chadd can look forward to a trip to sunnier climes on the Algarve in February having progressed during the year to the finals of the HowDidiDo National Pairs competition with a series of victories in the knockout rounds held throughout the summer before securing their place in the finals courtesy of a second place finish in the regional final in October.

A big thank you to everyone who contributed to another memorable year on the golf course by taking part in all our competitive matches, or a sociable game with friends.